Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club has reduced its waste management overheads by 25 per cent after teaming up with Orchard Facilities Management.

The partnership between the club and Orchard led to a complete review of waste strategies at Lockwood Park along with an audit of current Legionella testing procedures with a view to improving efficiency.

Stuart Leach, General Manager at Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club, said the review had identified cost saving opportunities that would allow the club to invest more of its budget in sport development and facilities at the ground.

“We host thousands of visitors every year at Lockwood Park across every part of the venue, including the sports stadium, clubhouse and Waterloo Suite conference facilities, and it’s vital that everything runs smoothly operationally,” he said.

“At the same time, we want to be as efficient as possible so that we have as much money available as possible available for continual improvement and development of the club.

“Orchard has helped us significantly reduce our costs without impacting on visitor experience or compromising on the level of service we offer,” added Mr Leach.

“Orchard is now handling our general waste, washroom services and compliance, helping us keep costs low and standards high.”

Martine Harney at Orchard Facilities Management said operational and compliance management was a growing burden for organisations.

“Sports clubs, charities and small businesses often miss out on the best deals because they don’t have the time or industry knowledge to source the most cost effective services.

“Keeping on top of ever-changing health and safety legislation is another headache for committees, trustees and business owners,” she added.

“We are delighted to be working with Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club to make sure they are following best practice and keeping the costs of running the club low.

“Lockwood Park has some fantastic facilities that are used for weddings, function, rugby, hockey, five-a-side football and a huge variety of community events. With Orchard on their side they can be confident that they are operating as efficiently as possible.”